Written Answers Thursday 1 April 2010

Scottish Executive

Drug Misuse

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many doses of methadone were dispensed in each NHS board area in each of the last five years.

Fergus Ewing: Information on the number of methadone defined daily doses for financial years ending 31 March 2005-2009 inclusive, by NHS board is shown in the following table. Although methadone oral solution prescribing rates have risen 2004-05 to 2008-09, the figure has remained stable at 96 methadone prescriptions per 1,000 population over the last three years.

  It should be noted that this information is a statistical measure and as such does not tell us about the number of people who are prescribed methadone in Scotland. Assumed average maintenance dose based upon guidelines at the following link:

  http://www.whocc.no/ddd/definition_and_general_considera/.

  I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31785 on 11 March 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at the following link http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  The information in the following table is derived from prescriptions dispensed in the community in Scotland each month. The prescribing team at ISD Scotland scan prescriptions that are dispensed in the community (some eight million prescriptions each month) and calculate defined daily doses using data derived from prescriptions plus local information. Individuals may have more than one prescription and therefore the number of prescriptions is not indicative of the number of individuals.

  Number of Defined Daily Doses for Methadone by NHS Board 2004-05 to 2008-09

  

 Dispensing NHS Board1
 Financial Year


 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08
 2008-09


 
 
 
 
 
 


 NHSscotland2
 14,995,485 
 17,440,492 
 19,359,311 
 21,410,688 
 23,209,441 


 
 
 
 
 
 


 NHS Ayrshire and Arran
 1,131,478 
 1,388,218 
 1,625,850 
 1,847,091 
 2,036,536 


 NHS Borders
 41,857 
 53,098 
 83,531 
 92,303 
 116,259 


 NHS Dumfries and Galloway
 246,589 
 273,125 
 315,450 
 362,189 
 401,011 


 NHS Fife
 417,067 
 494,904 
 667,397 
 1,050,983 
 1,407,307 


 NHS Forth Valley
 387,238 
 432,549 
 532,629 
 648,840 
 697,605 


 NHS Grampian
 897,579 
 1,079,209 
 1,316,876 
 1,632,252 
 1,918,198 


 NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 7,235,211 
 8,170,408 
 8,759,282 
 9,206,738 
 9,498,299 


 NHS Highland
 198,007 
 271,440 
 298,546 
 349,309 
 414,430 


 NHS Lanarkshire
 996,124 
 1,176,836 
 1,223,077 
 1,224,961 
 1,330,647 


 NHS Lothian
 2,646,008 
 3,305,785 
 3,733,667 
 4,063,151 
 4,227,491 


 NHS Orkney
 721 
 598 
 1,131 
 2,358 
 1,521 


 NHS Shetland
 8,350 
 15,414 
 25,987 
 26,045 
 23,851 


 NHS Tayside
 789,060 
 778,800 
 775,419 
 904,389 
 1,136,249 


 NHS Western isles
 196 
 108 
 469 
 80 
 36 



  Source: Prescribing Information System, ISD Scotland, IR2010-00467.

  Notes:

  1. The data refers to items dispensed in Scotland (by community pharmacists or dispensing doctors anywhere in the UK). This excludes the direct supply of medicines to patients from hospitals or clinics and excludes items dispensed in England.

  2. It is important to note that these figures do not provide information about the number of people in Scotland on methadone prescriptions.

  3. Defined daily doses for medicines is based upon the assumed average maintenance dose per day in adults according to the World Health Organization (WHO):

  http://www.whocc.no/ddd/definition_and_general_considera/.

  Please note that use of Defined Daily Doses (DDDs) allows standardisation of a drug utilisation metric to enable comparisons of drug use between countries, regions, and other health care settings, and to examine trends in drug use over time and in different settings. The DDD is a technical drug use metric generated by the WHO, and the basic definition is: The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults.

  Drug consumption data presented in DDDs only give a rough estimate of consumption and not an exact picture of actual use. The DDD provides a fixed unit of measurement independent of price and dosage form (e.g. tablet strength) enabling assessment of trends in drug consumption and to perform comparisons between population groups.

  The DDD is nearly always a compromise based on a review of the available information including doses used in various countries when this information is available. The DDD is a dose that is rarely, if ever, prescribed, because it is an average of two or more commonly used dose sizes.

  The current WHO DDD for Methadone usage in substance dependence is 25mg orally.

  An example of how DDDs are used in practice:

  Patient A gets a prescription for 175ml of Methadone 1mg/ml, 25mg/day for seven days.

  Patient B gets a prescription for 525ml of Methadone 1mg/ml, 75mg/day for seven days.

  Patient A’s prescription contains 1(25mg) x 7 = 7 DDDs.

  Patient B’s prescription contains 3(75mg) x 7 = 21 DDDs.

  ISD calculates DDDs as follows:

  Total Quantity of product x Strength of product

  WHO DDD for drug

Drug Misuse

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs were of supervised dispensing of methadone by community pharmacists in each NHS board area in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) gross ingredient cost, (b) fees for dispensing and (c) fees for supervision.

Fergus Ewing: In considering costs of supervised dispensing of methadone, it is important to note that the Gross Ingredient Cost (GIC) of 500mls of methadone changed from £7.59 in April 2006, £7.37 in April 2007, with a large increase to £9.54 in April 2008. These price changes mean that care must be taken when considering the cost data provided over time (2004-05 to 2008-09).

  In addition to this, variations in the fees for methadone dispensing and supervision and in the manner in which methadone information is collected and reported mean that we do not have complete coverage across Scotland and cannot compare data across time.

  The methadone dispensing fee is a payment that covers the actual act of dispensing the Methadone Oral Solution. This is a multi-stage process that starts with unequivocal identification of the patient and confirmation that the prescription meets the legal requirement. The main process would include measuring the volume required, and placing into a suitable container, labelling the container, handing the finished product to the patient, and at some stage also making the appropriate register entry required for the Schedule 2 Controlled Drug and also annotation of the prescription for the act of dispensing. The fee is paid for each act of dispensing. Methadone dispensing fees are not included in the transitional arrangements for implementation of the new pharmacy contract. The fee can be negotiated locally, and in some boards is in excess of the default payment of 175p (as stated in page 24 of the Scottish Drug Tariff, March 2007) up to £2.65.

  The methadone supervision fee is a locally agreed facility, which is not identified specifically in the Scottish Drug Tariff. The fee is paid on the occasion where the contractor hands the methadone to the patient, who administers the medicine in the presence of the contractor. (Methadone is long-acting, and a single dose would give the patient twenty-four hours’ cover.) There may be local standards applied to ensure patient compliance before the fee is claimed to ensure probity of process. The costs to the process may include reuse of the vessel used to measure and administer the methadone, plus a possible place of privacy such that administration does not take place in front of other patients in the pharmacy.

  Methadone supervision fees are locally negotiated, and where collected centrally, rates range from £3.10 to £4.06. Any other methadone/supervision fees are not captured centrally. Some NHS boards inform NSS of the fee values in place, and also the number of claims made, and this data can be collected. Other NHS boards prefer to collect the data locally, and this data is not normally shared with NSS. This appears to be a local choice made at board level.

  Prior to Road to Recovery, the most recent Scottish Drug Strategy was Tackling Drugs in Scotland: Action in Partnership and can be found at the following link:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library/documents-w7/tdis-00.htm.

  One of the four pillars was based on treatment and targets included the following:

  Increase the number of drug misusers in contact with drug treatment and care services in the community by at least 10% every year

  This government’s recovery-focused policy on tackling problem drug use goes further and recognises the importance of providing person-centred care and treatment opportunities that suit individual circumstances and needs (The Road to Recovery, 2008 which can be found at the following link http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/224480/0060586.pdf).

  For those who are addicted, this means that a full range of services must be available to them when they need it so that people can progress to recovery through individually tailored treatment and support.

  International evidence shows that methadone works as a treatment for heroin dependence and in the Scottish context it is appropriate for methadone to be used as a treatment for substance misuse.

  Reducing Harm and Promoting Recovery, 2007 which can be found at the following link:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/180417/0051271.pdf.

  The annual ISD Scotland Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland publication shows that:

  In 2008-09, 11,955 new individuals engaged with treatment services – the majority of these individuals (64% or 5,955 individuals) reported heroin use and can be found at the following link:

  http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/publications/09dmss/09dmss-026.htm.

  Information from the ISD Drug Treatment Waiting Times Framework for the last four quarters (December 2008 to September 2009) shows a:

  19% rise in the number of clients offered a date for any intervention and can be found at the following link http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/wtpilot/reports_revised_julsep09.pdf.

  Regarding treatment types, there is a:

  13% rise in the number of clients offered a date for prescribed drug treatment which is lower in relative terms when compared with the

  20% rise in the number of clients offered structured preparatory interventions, and

  19% rise in the number of clients offered community based support/rehabilitation.

  This indicates that a range of treatment interventions are being offered, and in increasing numbers. This would be consistent with the aims of the drugs strategy and would seem consistent with the increased numbers of people being accepted into treatment.

  Data on supervised methadone dispensing for financial years 2004-05 to 2008-09 are displayed in the following tables. As noted above, information on methadone dispensing and supervision fees is not available centrally for all NHS health boards in each of the time periods under question. As a result, methadone dispensing and supervision cost information in tables 1 to 5 may not provide the complete picture across Scotland and comparisons over time must be treated with caution.

  Please note that the data in tables 1 to 5 cover methadone and supervision fees paid centrally and exclude the supply of medicines to patients treated within hospitals and clinics.

  Table 1: Total Drug Costs and Fees for Methadone Mixture: Items Dispensed in Scotland by NHS Board1

  

Dispensing NHS Board Financial year: 2004-05
Gross Ingredient Cost (£)2
Methadone Fees (£)3
Supervision Fees (£)4
Total Cost (£)


Ayrshire and Arran
425,084.39
656,600.15
-
1,081,684.54


Borders
15,542.77
20,067.25
-
35,610.02


Dumfries and Galloway
92,222.60
100,156.79
164,853.04
357,232.43


Fife
157,121.28
246,361.50
-
403,482.78


Forth Valley
146,248.09
337,584.77
-
483,832.86


Grampian
339,562.50
195,923.00
664,308.36
1,199,793.86


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
2,678,588.05
3,829,664.68
1,127,001.11
7,635,253.84


Highland
73,085.53
87,700.51
67,416.17
228,202.21


Lanarkshire
364,832.26
503,917.75
-
868,750.01


Lothian
986,191.59
1,027,048.08
-
2,013,239.67


Orkney
146.21
35.00
6.40
187.61


Shetland
3,156.26
7,175.00
-
10,331.26


Tayside
295,895.16
325,081.05
369,560.30
990,536.51


Western Isles
74.54
94.50
-
169.04


Scotland
5,577,751.23
7,337,410.03
2,393,145.38
15,308,306.64



  Source: Information Services Division: IR2010-00466.

  Notes:

  1. Data relates to methadone mixture and solution, 1mg/ml which are recognised as being the standard products for methadone programmes.

  2. Total drug cost is the paid Gross Ingredient Cost (GIC).

  3. Fees paid for dispensing methadone.

  4. Fees paid for the supervision of methadone.

  - = zero value.

  Table 2: Total Drug Costs and Fees for Methadone Mixture: Items Dispensed in Scotland by NHS Board1

  

Dispensing NHS BoardFinancial year: 2005-06
Gross Ingredient Cost (£)2
Methadone Fees (£)3
Supervision Fees (£)4
Total Cost (£)


Ayrshire and Arran
522,929.73
796,176.01
-
1,319,105.74


Borders
19,189.13
23,726.50
-
42,915.63


Dumfries and Galloway
100,707.56
106,622.01
197,878.98
405,208.55


Fife
185,806.48
270,868.50
-
456,674.98


Forth Valley
163,857.26
374,747.28
-
538,604.54


Grampian
406,887.75
172,329.50
839,370.70
1,418,587.95


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
3,034,961.61
1,810,602.32
4,666,449.17
9,512,013.10


Highland
99,571.31
115,357.68
88,888.90
303,817.89


Lanarkshire
428,893.35
519,806.00
-
948,699.35


Lothian
1,237,518.92
1,230,314.85
-
2,467,833.77


Orkney
225.18
88.20
19.20
332.58


Shetland
5,821.88
8,622.25
-
14,444.13


Tayside
294,655.78
247,724.16
526,019.21
1,068,399.15


Western Isles
39.23
42.00
-
81.23


Scotland
6,501,065.17
5,677,027.26
6,318,626.16
18,496,718.59



  Source: Information Services Division: IR2010-00466.

  Notes:

  1. Data relates to methadone mixture and solution, 1mg/ml which are recognised as being the standard products for methadone programmes.

  2. Total drug cost is the paid Gross Ingredient Cost (GIC).

  3. Fees paid for dispensing methadone.

  4. Fees paid for the supervision of methadone.

  - = zero value.

  Table 3: Total Drug Costs and Fees for Methadone Mixture: Items Dispensed in Scotland by NHS Board1

  

Dispensing NHS BoardFinancial year: 2006-07
Gross Ingredient Cost (£)2
Methadone fees (£)3
Supervision fees (£)4
Total Cost (£)


Ayrshire and Arran
610,785.15
899,155.30
-
1,509,940.45


Borders
30,772.36
16,789.50
45,315.24
92,877.10


Dumfries and Galloway
116,275.33
150,361.35
236,756.66
503,393.34


Fife
251,247.31
333,957.75
-
585,205.06


Forth Valley
200,518.05
246,817.28
298,958.10
746,293.43


Grampian
492,155.30
191,345.00
977,989.40
1,661,489.70


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
3,258,335.19
1,403,993.44
5,570,319.78
10,232,648.41


Highland
110,047.58
60,524.22
196,543.09
367,114.89


Lanarkshire
445,606.24
523,129.25
-
968,735.49


Lothian
1,388,292.56
1,399,650.00
-
2,787,942.56


Orkney
412.58
71.40
403.20
887.18


Shetland
9,815.16
12,015.50
-
21,830.66


Tayside
291,925.94
217,054.08
566,920.42
1,075,900.44


Western Isles
176.57
119.00
-
295.57


Scotland
7,206,365.32
5,454,983.07
7,893,205.89
20,554,554.28



  Source: Information Services Division: IR2010-00466.

  Notes:

  1. Data relates to methadone mixture and solution, 1mg/ml which are recognised as being the standard products for methadone programmes.

  2. Total drug cost is the paid Gross Ingredient Cost (GIC).

  3. Fees paid for dispensing methadone.

  4. Fees paid for the supervision of methadone.

  - = zero value.

  Table 4: Total Drug Costs and Fees for Methadone Mixture: Items Dispensed in Scotland by NHS Board1

  

Dispensing NHS Board Financial year: 2007-08
Gross Ingredient Cost (£)2
Methadone Fees (£)3
Supervision Fees (£)4
Total Cost (£)


Ayrshire and Arran
853,822.25
630,730.28
571,472.40
2,056,024.93


Borders
42,938.27
13,375.44
56,401.08
112,714.79


Dumfries and Galloway
165,454.62
163,507.20
278,866.30
607,828.12


Fife
489,001.80
221,102.00
424,846.08
1,134,949.88


Forth Valley
299,212.89
205,239.65
486,129.85
990,582.39


Grampian
753,978.26
222,001.50
1,124,150.23
2,100,129.99


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
4,202,404.02
1,600,138.46
5,740,005.54
11,542,548.02


Highland
161,204.72
80,443.20
211,443.66
453,091.58


Lanarkshire
563,373.64
515,557.00
-
1,078,930.64


Lothian
1,870,567.91
1,493,739.18
-
3,364,307.09


Orkney
1,101.09
172.20
937.60
2,210.89


Shetland
12,084.79
10,606.75
-
22,691.54


Tayside
420,718.47
209,738.16
663,453.01
1,293,909.64


Western Isles
37.83
10.50
-
48.33


Scotland
9,835,900.56
5,366,361.52
9,557,705.75
24,759,967.83



  Source: Information Services Division: IR2010-00466.

  Notes:

  1. Data relates to methadone mixture and solution, 1mg/ml which are recognised as being the standard products for methadone programmes.

  2. Total drug cost is the paid Gross Ingredient Cost (GIC).

  3. Fees paid for dispensing methadone.

  4. Fees paid for the supervision of methadone.

  - =zero value.

  Table 5: Total Drug Costs and Fees for Methadone Mixture: Items Dispensed in Scotland by NHS Board1

  

Dispensing NHS Board Financial year: 2008-09
Gross Ingredient Cost (£)2
Methadone Fees (£)3
Supervision Fees (£)4
Total Cost (£)


Ayrshire and Arran
970,834.31
471,041.41
952,100.85
2,393,976.57


Borders
55,785.19
10,978.42
74,800.86
141,564.47


Dumfries and Galloway
189,192.63
170,377.04
281,269.06
640,838.73


Fife
664,198.00
190,018.50
611,792.67
1,466,009.17


Forth Valley
325,814.14
210,720.21
527,607.63
1,064,141.98


Grampian
912,384.80
257,855.50
1,214,841.12
2,385,081.42


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
4,441,871.00
1,726,017.10
6,169,470.96
12,337,359.06


Highland
195,240.70
97,652.64
243,506.79
536,400.13


Lanarkshire
638,809.66
570,914.75
-
1,209,724.41


Lothian
2,007,952.46
1,090,313.58
692,069.94
3,790,335.98


Orkney
747.56
130.20
550.40
1,428.16


Shetland
11,574.93
8,772.75
-
20,347.68


Tayside
535,282.50
290,498.40
774,327.84
1,600,108.74


Western Isles
17.47
7.00
-
24.47


Scotland
10,949,705.35
5,095,297.50
11,542,338.12
27,587,340.97



  Source: Information Services Division: IR2010-00466.

  Notes:

  1. Data relates to methadone mixture and solution, 1mg/ml which are recognised as being the standard products for methadone programmes.

  2. Total drug cost is the paid Gross Ingredient Cost (GIC).

  3. Fees paid for dispensing methadone.

  4. Fees paid for the supervision of methadone.

  - = zero value.

International Development

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-17190 by Linda Fabiani on 20 November 2008, what the total expenditure from the International Development Fund has been since 21 November 2008.

Fiona Hyslop: The total expenditure from the International Development Fund from 20 November 2008 to date is £10,339,410.77. The breakdown is as follows:

  International Development Fund Expenditure - 20 November 2008 to Date

  

Organisation
Country
Expenditure


Active Learning Centre
Malawi
£63,669.00


Active Learning Centre
Malawi
£38,500.00


Adam Smith College
Malawi
£130,800.00


Advance Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO)
Malawi
£110,000.00


British Red Cross
Haiti
£75,000.00


Challenges Worldwide
Malawi
£20,743.00


Christian Aid Scotland
Malawi
£102,800.00


Christian Aid Scotland
Malawi
£134,690.00


Christian Aid Scotland
Gaza
£85,000.00


Christian Blind Mission (CBM)
Malawi
£75,800.00


Christian Blind Mission (CBM)
Democratic Republic of Congo
£50,000.00


Christian Blind Mission (CBM)
Gaza
£38,998.00


Christian Blind Mission (CBM)
Haiti
£51,259.17


Church of Scotland World Mission
Malawi
£265,405.00


Coatbridge High School
Malawi
£50,000.00


Commonwealth Local Government Forum
Malawi
£69,000.00


Concern Worldwide
Malawi
£66,140.00


Concern Worldwide
Rwanda
£266,960.00


Concern Worldwide
Malawi
£200,500.00


Concern Worldwide
Rwanda
£403,039.00


Deaf Action
Malawi
£15,228.00


Deaf Action
Malawi
£74,545.00


Edinburgh Direct Aid
Gaza
£21,000.00


Equal Exchange
Malawi
£38,500.00


Equal Exchange
Malawi
£40,263.00


Equal Exchange
Malawi
£60,778.00


Equal Exchange
Malawi
£212,587.00


Glasgow the Caring City
Gaza
£9,000.00


Glasgow the Caring City
Haiti
£17,000.00


Global Concerns Trust
Malawi
£13,450.00


Global Concerns Trust
Malawi
£27,650.00


Imani Enterprise
Malawi
£148,000.00


Imani Enterprise
Malawi
£137,000.00


International Network of Street Papers
Malawi
£36,700.00


International Network of Street Papers
Malawi
£31,465.00


Inverclyde Council Education Services
Malawi
£7,000.00


Inverclyde Council Education Services
Malawi
£14,000.00


Islamic Relief
Gaza
£75,000.00


Link Community Development Project
Malawi
£207,251.00


Link Community Development Scotland
Malawi
£24,654.00


Macaulay Land Use Research Institute
Malawi
£143,415.00


Macaulay Land Use Research Institute
Malawi
£92,858.00


Malawi Tomorrow
Malawi
£40,567.00


Malawi Tomorrow
Malawi
£19,358.00


Medical Aid for Palestine
Gaza
£38,998.00


Mercy Corps
Democratic Republic of Congo
£100,000.00


Mercy Corps
Haiti
£75,000.00


Mission Aviation Fellowship
Haiti
£51,580.00


Moffat Centre
Malawi
£73,500.00


Moffat Centre
Malawi
£46,290.00


NIDOS
n/a
£57,833.00


Opportunity International
Malawi
£250,635.00


Opportunity International
Tanzania
£250,000.00


Opportunity International
Tanzania
£400,000.00


Opportunity International
Malawi
£100,905.00


Oxfam Scotland
Haiti
£74,684.00


Oxfam Scotland
Malawi
£112,150.00


Oxfam Scotland
Gaza
£85,000.00


Oxfam Scotland
Malawi
£260,682.00


Save the Children
Haiti
£75,000.00


Save the Children
Gaza
£75,000.00


Scotland Malawi Business Group
Malawi
£84,466.00


Scotland Malawi Business Group
Malawi
£12,835.00


Scotland Malawi Business Group
Malawi
£91,647.00


Scotland Malawi Business Group 
Malawi
£47,337.00


Scotland Malawi Partnership
n/a
£59,102.00


Scotland’s Buddhist Vihara
Sri Lanka
£9,524.00


Scottish Agricultural College
Malawi
£59,534.00


Scottish Agricultural College
Malawi
£119,804.00


Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
Tanzania
£20,188.00


Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
Sudan
£35,000.00


Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
Zambia
£239,038.00


Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
Democratic Republic of Congo
£50,000.00


Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
Zambia
£403,005.00


Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
Tanzania
£20,187.00


Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
Haiti
£75,000.00


Scottish Churches World Exchange
Malawi
£76,442.00


Scottish Churches World Exchange
Malawi
£109,766.00


Scottish Fairtrade Forum 
n/a
£60,000.00


Scottish Fairtrade Forum
n/a
£20,000.00


Scottish International Relief
Malawi
£133,330.00


Scottish International Relief
Haiti
£67,552.00


Scottish International Relief
Malawi
£133,330.00


Scottish Police College
Malawi
£20,427.00


Scottish Police College
Malawi
£56,865.00


Sense Scotland
Malawi
£34,937.00


Stenhouse Primary School
Malawi
£63,500.00


Stenhouse Primary School
Malawi
£42,100.00


Tearfund Scotland
Malawi
£99,050.00


Tearfund Scotland
Sudan
£100,000.00


Tearfund Scotland
Malawi
£112,800.60


Tearfund Scotland
Sudan
£450,000.00


The INSP Foundation
Malawi
£28,300.00


University of Edinburgh
Malawi
£79,320.00


University of Edinburgh
Malawi
£187,492.00


University of St Andrews
Malawi
£102,000.00


University of St Andrews
Malawi
£82,000.00


University of Stirling
Malawi
£241,100.00


University of Strathclyde
Malawi
£60,904.00


University of Strathclyde
Malawi
£121,209.00


University of Strathclyde
Malawi
£63,193.00


University of Strathclyde
Malawi
£46,331.00


University of Strathclyde
Malawi
£33,014.00


University of the West of Scotland
Malawi
£147,000.00


Waverley Care
Malawi
£114,879.00


Waverley Care
Malawi
£162,073.00


Westgate Medical Practice
Malawi
£31,000.00

International Development

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors payments from the International Development Fund.

Fiona Hyslop: Payments are monitored as part of the grant management process and are only released on satisfactory completion of required reports.

  Details of these reports can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/International-Relations/internationaldevelopment/idffundingguidance/malawidevprog/grantholder/Q/editmode/on/forceupdate/on.

Justice

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the use of Mosquito ultrasonic youth deterrents.

Kenny MacAskill: We are determined to create a balance between supporting the positive behaviour of the majority of young people, while tackling antisocial behaviour (ASB) among the minority. Local agencies are best placed to decide the detailed strategy and range of measures which can best tackle ASB locally and we know some councils and police forces in Scotland have already come out against use of this device in their areas.

  For our part, we must respond to concerns about the welfare of all members of our communities, including those raised directly with us about these devices. Indeed, what we need to ensure is that that these devices don’t create a bigger problem than those they are supposed to resolve.

  We are therefore looking at the real impact these devices can have on all members of our communities – young and old – and whether we might need to consider taking further action in light of our concerns about the way they indiscriminately target young people. In all of this, our objective must be to create safe, strong communities for all.

Livestock

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the long-term benefits to producers are of electronic identification of sheep.

Richard Lochhead: Although many producers believe there are no benefits to themselves or to the sector, others take the view that there are benefits linked to the way individual businesses operate and how businesses fulfil their statutory obligations. The potential benefits that have been highlighted by some parts of industry can be classed into the following areas:

  Quicker and more accurate recording of animals.

  Improved ability to track animal movements – improving disease control.

  Improved management benefits – enhancing farm efficiency and reducing farm administration by removing paper based records and movement documents.

  Stock Improvements – breeding performance and carcase quality data linked to Food Chain Information feedback from processors.

  Welfare improvements by reduced handling of animals.

Police

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of police time was spent on (a) paperwork, (b) other non-frontline duties and (c) frontline duties, in each of the last three years.

Kenny MacAskill: The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for chief constables. Information on the time police officers spend on individual tasks is not held centrally.

Police

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost is of a police homicide investigation.

Kenny MacAskill: The investigation of homicides is an operational matter for chief constables. Information on the costs of investigations is not held centrally.

Police

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the percentage of their time that police officers spent (a) on patrol and (b) dealing with paperwork in 2008-09 and 2009-10, broken down by police force.

Kenny MacAskill: The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for chief constables. The information requested is not held centrally.

Scottish Government Ministers

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change will consider giving advice to other ministers on the use of public transport in place of the Government Car Service when carrying out ministerial duties.

Stewart Stevenson: Ministers regularly exchange information about their activities and experience.